Page 28 of Demon and the Raven

“Hey,” I croaked out, seeing Lorne’s photo on my screen. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, I—where are you?”

“I’m outside. I know I can’t come in until Kathy’s gone.”

“Yeah. I just got off the phone with the new director of the Dunkirk Police Department’s crime lab. She transferred from Albany last month. Dr. Sophia Webb.”

Osprey’s influx of tourists had brought with it an increase in crime, so consequently, it had been determined that Westfield was simply too small to assist us. Instead, we were now paired with the much larger town of Dunkirk.

“When I explained to Webb that we’ve been transporting the dead to Westfield, she informed me that would no longer be standard operating procedure going forward.”

“Which means what?”

“It means that from now on, starting with Kathy, if someone dies committing a crime, or is the victim of a crime, she wants one of her two medical examiners to collect the body themselves.”

“I feel like that’s not terrible, and I’m thinking you’re okay with that.”

“I’m thrilled. That’s what I was used to when I was in Homicide. The ME was normally on site to give us their preliminary thoughts on the cause and time of death, and they made certain everything was gathered with the body before the evidence collection unit showed up.”

“And is she sending out a team for that as well?”

“Yeah. Whole group of criminalists are on their way.”

“You sound pleased.”

“I am. This is a great change for Osprey, and I told Webb how much my department, and the people in this town, appreciate her, her office, and her people.”

“What did she say?”

“I think she was expecting pushback because I guess she got some from Westfield, Mayville, and Portland, but here I am, over the moon to have backup.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “She asked me where I was from, and when I said Boston, I could tell she was happy to hear that.”

“Because you’re both from bigger cities, you get how things are supposed to work.”

“Exactly. We’re gonna get along fine.”

“Good. I’m glad.”

“It’s gonna make a night-and-day difference to figuring out who did this.”

I coughed softly. “May I ask how you know Kathy was murdered if there was a fire?”

“Her, um”—he took a quick breath—“her head was turned to an angle that’s not possible—at least to me—as the result of a fall or anything else. Someone nearly twisted it off.”

“Oh,” I said sadly because even though she was not and had never been my friend, I wouldn’t wish a violent, painful death on anyone.

“I just want you to come in here and look around, see if there’s anything not right.”

“And I will, but you know she wasn’t an actual magic user, right?”

“I thought if someone said they’re a witch, then they are.”

“Yes, but there’s a difference between universal magic everyone can tap into if they believe and study and use the tools others give them, and the kind of magic that’s practiced and conjured.”

“I don’t—just wait until you come inside. I’ll call you back in a bit.”

I had to be clearer with him, and I needed to think about how to phrase things so he’d understand. As I crouched there in the darkness, holding Argos, I tried to think of what my grandfather, Arthur Corey, would say. He always had a way of making huge concepts bite-sized for me. That’s what I had to do here. I also had to help the daemon in my arms remember what he was because clearly, something had spooked him.

“You know, you can get as big as a grizzly bear,” I reminded him. “What’s with shrinking yourself down?”